as in defeat
failure to win a contest
our football team suffered a pretty severe trimming
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in mastering
to achieve a victory over
a speed skater who consistently trimmed all his competition
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
they trimmed our team by 40 points
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3
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
trimmed her bangs
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4
as in decorating
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
trim a tree for Christmas
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5
as in organizing
to make neat
trimmed the shrubbery in order to enhance the house's curb appeal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trimming
Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Yes, according to the Department of Environment and Conservation, burning leaves and other debris — such as branches, tree limbs, twigs, lawn clippings, woody vegetation, yard trimmings, clean unpainted/uncoated wood, or untreated lumber — is allowed in Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Choose an upright cultivar and begin trimming it in early fall into a conical tree.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trimming
Noun
This year’s annual cast-trimming seems to have struck some fans particularly hard, what with the popular Walker, Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Heidi Gardner among producer Lorne Michaels’ chopping-block heads.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Yes, according to the Department of Environment and Conservation, burning leaves and other debris — such as branches, tree limbs, twigs, lawn clippings, woody vegetation, yard trimmings, clean unpainted/uncoated wood, or untreated lumber — is allowed in Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
With revisions earlier this year mostly trimming prior readings, more downward revisions could be due.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Choose an upright cultivar and begin trimming it in early fall into a conical tree.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trimming
Noun
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Despite the defeats, his investment in Cracker Barrel has been extraordinarily profitable.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
-
However, for Ukah, defeat was never failure.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Oftentimes, excellence comes down to mastering the mundane rather than making spectacular plays, especially for young players.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
As the physician and philosopher Jodi Halpern has pointed out, Osler believed that a doctor should aspire to be an island of calm in stormy seas, mastering her own unruly emotions with the force of rationality.—
Rachel Pearson,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then, with seemingly no provocation, the man can be seen standing up and whipping out a knife in his right hand.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
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Greens are guarded with some diabolical sand traps, and the usually whipping wind forces you to plot every shot.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The lone artisan in his shop shaving out a single bow at a time from a stave of wood was a thing of the past.—
Clare Conley,
Outdoor Life,
18 Sep. 2025
-
In that case, 33-year-old TJ Hoover woke up in the operating room to find people shaving his chest, bathing his body in surgical solution and talking about harvesting his organs.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The simplest way to create an autumnal feel is by decorating your front porch.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
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Designed by decorating icon Bunny Williams, the Cranborne lampshade boasts the signature sophistication that Williams has built a career on.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The college was being reprimanded amid allegations of antisemitism on campus and activism led in part by Mahmoud Khalil, a foreign student organizing against Israel’s war in Gaza.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Sep. 2025
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As an engineering problem, AI mimics basic brain functions like memory, recall, organizing information, and learning.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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After much chest-beating about his score predictions in the leadup to Week 5 of the TSSAA football season, Kreager went 5-5.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Sep. 2025
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The academy said Jackson assaulted Smith during a match, going off the normal script to commit the beating.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Chargers got off to a hot start to the season in year two under Jim Harbaugh by defeating the Chiefs 27-21 in the NFL season opener.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Jovic lifted the trophy by defeating Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-1 in Sunday’s final of the WTA 500 tournament in Zapopan, Mexico.—
Manasi Pathak,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trimming. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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